Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri - With all the cancellations and students missing school, the holiday scheduling of sports, concerts and other events is about to get overwhelming. Tonight you can sit back and relax and enjoy the 7th and 8th grade students singing in the T.S. Hill Middle School gym. It's just what you need to get into the Christmas spirit!
Here are some T.S. Hill Middle School Holiday Music Concerts you will want to put down on your calendar. They are always fun and entertaining and these students know how to perform!
Tuesday, December 10th - 7th & 8th Grade Choir Concert - WAS POSTPONED UNTIL DECEMBER 12TH at 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 12th - 6th Grade Choir Concert - WAS POSTPONED UNTIL MONDAY DECEMBER 16TH at 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 19th - Middle School Band Concert
Each concert will begin at 6:00 p.m. and be performed in the middle school gym. The parents, grandparents, family and friends are encouraged to attend as well as the general public. Enjoy the holidays by listening to Christmas music performed by our very own middle school!
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Cape Girardeau, Missouri – A partnership between Southeast Missouri State University and Missouri State University-West Plains has paved the way for students at Southeast’s three regional campuses to now earn a two-year Associate of Arts from Missouri State-West Plains.
Southeast President Kenneth W. Dobbins and Missouri State University-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett made the announcement today at Southeast’s regional campuses in Sikeston, Malden and Kennett, Mo.
Beginning next fall, Associate’sPLUS will allow Southeast regional campus students the opportunity to earn a high-quality degree in just two years. At the same time, students may choose to pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree seamlessly and simply, without transferring institutions, leaving a Southeast regional campus or losing credits.
Under the reverse transfer agreement signed today, Southeast regional campus students may earn an Associate of Arts after completing 62 credit hours, 15 of which will be from Missouri State-West Plains. The 15 credit hours will be available online, and students may complete them while attending a Southeast regional campus. The remaining hours will be taught by Southeast faculty at a Southeast regional campus. At 62 credit hours, Missouri State-West Plains will grant an Associate of Arts, and students will be well on their way to a bachelor’s degree. Dobbins says Southeast has forged a wonderful collaboration with Missouri State-West Plains.
Bennett says Missouri State-West Plains is pleased to be working with Southeast to provide students access to an associate’s degree.
“This has been a great partnership, and it has been a seamless process to develop the Associate’sPLUS program,” Bennett said. “As our part of the agreement, we are offering online courses that are already available to anyone, anywhere. We are packaging the courses together in order to facilitate the ability of students at these three campuses to complete an associate’s degree.”
No additional application fee is required to participate, and regional campus students may use Southeast’s A+ Scholarship program, with the same qualifiers as the state program, while completing their lower-level coursework. Students may remain enrolled as a Southeast student and simultaneously enroll in one or more classes through Missouri State-West Plains. Missouri State-West Plains will offer several online courses in biology, computer science and macroeconomics, and other general education courses available to Southeast students every semester.
Academic advisors at each of Southeast’s regional campuses are available to help explain degree options.
Southeast and Missouri State University-West Plains officials say this new collaboration is in response to state and federal mandates to partner with other Missouri institutions and to find ways to increase the number of degree/certificate holders in the area. To ensure both institutions were following state guidance, Southeast and Missouri State-West Plains officials worked with the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) for review before proceeding with the program.
“This is also an effort to better meet our mission of delivering high-quality and affordable college education in southeast Missouri,” Dobbins said.
“When Southeast officials contacted us, we were excited about the opportunity to offer classes to meet the needs of their students in accordance with the Missouri Department of Higher Education’s initiative to foster reverse transfer agreements,” Bennett added. “We appreciate the Department of Higher Education’s advice on finalizing this partnership to benefit students.”
Currently, Southeast students can earn a four-year bachelor’s degree at Southeast’s regional campuses in Sikeston, Kennett and Malden. Southeast offers 10 bachelor’s degree programs available entirely at its regional campuses with eight programs offered completely online. Additionally, students may also earn an A.S. in dental hygiene at Southeast’s Sikeston campus in cooperation with Missouri Southern State University.
“Adding the ability to earn a high-quality, two-year associate degree while attending one of our regional campuses allows us to better serve more people in this area,” Dobbins said.
With these goals, Southeast officials began meeting with Missouri State University-West Plains leaders and decided to form “Associate’sPLUS,” Dobbins said. He says three groups will benefit from this partnership:
- High school graduates who want to earn a two-year degree on their way to pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree. Associate’sPLUS provides the opportunity for a quality, affordable college experience with classes close to home and a degree earned in just two years, he said.
- Individuals who believe an associate’s degree will help them advance at work or in their profession.
- Students whose lives change and need to temporarily withdraw from college. Through Associate’sPLUS, students can apply credits earned toward a degree and can then use that degree to achieve a better life.
“The most important part of this program is that students can begin working on their bachelor’s degree from day one and, at the same time, can complete the requirements for an Associate of Arts, all while attending a Southeast regional campus,” Dobbins said. “Students can begin taking upper level credit that is needed for a bachelor’s degree program when their degree plan prescribes it. The goal of Associate’sPLUS is to provide the student with all the benefits of earning an Associate of Arts while they seamlessly pursue a bachelor’s degree.”
Southeast began investing in rural southeast Missouri more than 25 years ago. Today it has regional campuses in Kennett, Malden and Sikeston, Mo.
Today’s announcement, Dobbins says, is “another way to effect change in these towns and improve the quality of life for residents here.”
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri - Due to a significant winter storm moving into Southeast Missouri, Three Rivers College will close at 1:30 pm, Thursday, December 5, 2013 and remain closed on Friday, December 6, 2013. All classes and activities will be cancelled and all offices closed at all college locations.
A decision will be made no later than Saturday morning on whether the Poplar Bluff campus will open for scheduled events.
Information on college weather closings will be posted on the college website at www.trcc.edu and the college Facebook page at facebook.com/threeriverscollege and will be on the recording at the college's main phone number, 573-840-9600 or 877-879-8722.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
Submitted by Jill Temples
SMT Writer
Spring Registration Deadline Nears at Three Rivers College- Prospective students still have time to register for Spring semester classes at Three Rivers College, with openings still available at all of the college’s locations. However, spots for the required Compass test are filling rapidly.
Prospective students must have taken the ACT or Compass placement tests before becoming eligible to register for classes, and only a handful of test dates remain before the registration deadline. They must also fill out a free application and attend an orientation to be eligible to register.
Registration for the Spring semester will continue through Jan. 10 at the Poplar Bluff campus and the centers in Sikeston, Dexter, Kennett, Malden, and Cape Girardeau. The semester starts on Jan. 13.
Those interested in enrolling can browse available courses by clicking “Search for Classes” at trcc.edu. Current students can register online through the myTRCC system. For assistance or to schedule an orientation session, contact the Welcome Center at (573) 840-9605.
“There’s still time left for any student who wants to register for Spring classes, but the deadline for some of the prerequisites is approaching fast,” said Dr. Angela Totty, Vice President for Student Success. “Students who wait until the last minute may find the registration process becoming much more difficult.”
Totty also advises that new students needing financial aid begin the application process as soon as possible, as the priority deadline for processing spring financial aid has already passed. For more information on how to apply for financial assistance at Three Rivers, visit, http://www.trcc.edu/financialaid/
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit www.trcc.edu
Submitted by Jill Temples
SMT Writer
AT&T Technology for Tuition Scholarship- AT&T is giving away a $1,000 scholarship for the student that writes that best 300-500 word post about whether the shift to consuming media online has been negative or positive in your life.
To enter you must:
-Post your article on your blog or website. (Facebook and other social mediums don’t count).
-Submit your name, email and URL to your entry in the fields below. Then click submit.
The question to be answered is:
There used to be only two ways to watch TV: you either had a cable subscription or you had rabbit ears. Today there are numerous ways to watch TV, from a traditional cable TV package to web-based services like Hulu and Netflix.
In fact, there are now many people who only watch TV on the Internet.
Has the On Demand revolution and shift to consuming media online affected you positively or negatively as a student? How?
Some Helpful Guidelines:
-Be concise
-300-500 words is not a lot. Choose your words carefully.
-Be creative
-Don't hold back, imagination is what created the Internet in the first place.
-Use examples
-They enhance your credibility and offer context for your readers.
-Link to your sources
-Either in-text or at the bottom.
-Submit before the deadline of December 18th.
For more information, visit the scholarship website at: http://www.attsavings.com/scholarship
